C H A R I S M A
Charisma:
noun - a special magnetic charm or appeal; a personal quality that gives an individual influence or authority over large numbers of people.
Two things
One. You don’t have to be charismatic to be a leader (but it can help).
Two. You don’t have to be an extrovert to be charismatic.
I bet that got your attention, right?
In one of my first podcasts, I asked, Can you teach charisma? My stance was and still is, no, you cannot. And while many of my contemporaries may challenge that proposition (see The Myth of Charisma), I am still a firm believer that you cannot teach charisma.
That aside, what I want to do in this piece is deconstruct the idea that charisma is just for extroverts.
Too often, professionals are misguided that leadership is tantamount to being this “out there” person with bold statements and a high profile personal brand. To be extrovert AF. I see it in my coaching and training; the client’s ideal outcome is to make their mark and do something that sets them apart. And yet there are vast swathes of very competent and effective leaders who are never in the spotlight. Whose faces you hardly ever see but whose impact is no less than their extroverted counterparts.
Now to be clear, introversion is not shyness or out being quiet. Introverts can show up as great public speakers, writers and communicators; the difference is more about regularity and whether they prefer time spent in listening and reflection.
I see this often in leaders who work in analytics, engineering, product development and customer service. However, even in areas often associated with extraversion, such as marketing, healthcare, and education, I see many outstanding leaders demonstrate appeal and impact while exhibiting many traits associated with introversion.
I will wheel back in and reiterate that I don’t think charisma is something that can be taught or forced. There are other means of influencing people through your leadership that don’t include charisma. However, if you do possess or are aware of some charismatic trait in the way you impact those you lead, please remember that this is not the domain just for extroverts. Introverts are just as capable of being charismatic.
